Bird Guide

Eastern Whipbird

Psophodes olivaceus

Least ConcernInvertebratesForestCup nestMedium · 62 g

About the Eastern Whipbird

The eastern whipbird is an insectivorous passerine bird native to the east coast of Australia. Its whip-crack song is a familiar sound in forests of eastern Australia. Two subspecies are recognised. Heard much more often than seen, it is dark olive-green and black in colour with a distinctive white cheek patch and a crest. The male and female are similar in plumage.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

A slim bird some 26–30 cm (10–12 in) in length and 47–72 grams (1.7–2.5 oz) in weight, it is olive green with a black head and breast. It has a small black crest with a white cheek-patch on its face. It has a paler abdomen with a long dark olive-green tail tipped with white. The iris is brown and bill is black with blackish feet. The male is slightly larger than the female. Juveniles are a duller olive-brown and lack the white cheek stripes and dark throat. The eastern whipbird is generally shy, and is heard much more often than seen.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What the Eastern Whipbird sounds like

Recording: James Ray · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: James Ray · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where the Eastern Whipbird lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in Japan.

When to see the Eastern Whipbird

Peak activity in October · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

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